Grand jury indicts Donald Trump for role in hush-money payments to porn star, says NYT

PTI, Mar 31, 2023, 8:04 AM IST

Image credit: AP Photo / File

New York: A grand jury in Manhattan has voted to indict former US President Donald Trump for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, according to The New York Times.

The New York Times quoted five people with knowledge of the matter to say that the grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, ”a historic development that will shake up the 2024 presidential race and forever mark him as the nation’s first former president to face criminal charges.”

The report added that an indictment is expected to be announced in the coming days. ”By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg,” will have asked Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now.

The report added that on Thursday, three lead prosecutors on the Trump investigation walked into the Manhattan court building where the grand jury was sitting minutes before the panel was scheduled to meet at 2 pm.

One of the prosecutors carried a copy of the penal law, which was likely used to read the criminal statutes to the grand jurors before they voted.

”About three hours later, the prosecutors walked into the court clerk’s office through a back door to begin the process of filing the indictment,” the report said.

It added that Trump has consistently denied all wrongdoing and attacked Bragg, accusing him of leading a politically motivated prosecution.